Tendulkar’s heckler attracts all attention

The man, whose identity was not revealed, was a member of the MCC in Australia who have a reciprocal arrangement with their counterparts in England for exchange facilities.

He ran on to the field and kept talking to Tendulkar — soon after the master batsman was clean bowled by Hoggard — even putting his arms around him and raising his arms in a triumphant gesture. He accompanied Tendulkar to the pavilion, running before him on the stairs where police took him in custody.

“It is not our policy lately to tackle people on the pitch,” said Roger Knight, secretary and chief executive of the MCC. “But we have taken the issue most seriously and we would like to reassess all our measures.”

Knight said he had spoken to Indian coach John Wright and manager Ranga Reddy about the incident and would have a word with Tendulkar later. “I am not sure at the moment what he said to Tendulkar, but I gathered he was only trying to say good things,” he said.

Hoggard, who acounted for Tendulkar, was also surprised to see the man behaving in the manner.

“We said to each other what this clown is doing here,” said Hoggard at the end of the day’s play.

Knight said it was almost impossible to keep spectators from entering into the ground as it would mean they would have to raise fences around the boundary.

“This is something we can’t do and also we would not like to do,” said Knight adding “cricketers are standing at fine leg and third man and we can only strengthen our measures.”

Serious meetings have taken place between the Indian and England boards in recent months involving the security measures.